Crowds flocked to one of Miami’s reopened parks on Tuesday as government officials finalize plans for the partial reopening of Miami-Dade County, one of Florida’s largest coronavirus hotspots.
Dozens of people were seen enjoying Miami’s 82F weather as they strolled through South Pointe Park just a day after it reopened.
Officials said the park will only open on weekdays after it was closed due to overcrowding and issues with face coverings.
Several sun-seekers appeared to be following social distancing guidelines. And while some wore masks, many people didn’t have their faces covered at all.
But Miami Beach Police said visitors at the park don’t need to wear a face mask as long as social distancing is required. However, police encouraged park goers to still carry face mask with them.
Photos showed several people relaxing in the park as they soaked up the sun. Some worked out and ran while others chit-chatted on the grass.
Crowds flocked to one of Miami’s reopened parks on Tuesday as government officials finalize plans for the partial reopening of Miami-Dade County, one of Florida’s largest coronavirus hotspots
A family is seen enjoying the warm weather at the South Pointe Park in Miami on Tuesday
Dozens of people were seen enjoying Miami’s 82F weather as they strolled through South Pointe Park just a day after it reopened
Officials said the park will only open on weekdays after it was closed due to overcrowding and issues with face coverings. Several sun-seekers appeared to be following social distancing guidelines
And while some wore masks, many people didn’t have their faces covered at all. But Miami Beach Police said visitors at the park don’t need to wear a face mask as long as social distancing is required. However, police encouraged park goers to still carry face mask with them
Photos showed several people relaxing in the park as they soaked up the sun
Some worked out and ran while others chit-chatted on the grass
Sun-seekers were seen lounging around on the grass at the South Pointe Park on Tuesday
A group is seen walking at the South Pointe Park in Miami on Tuesday, just a day after it reopened
Miami-Dade and Broward counties are finishing preparations that would allow retailers, restaurants and personal care businesses such as barber shops and salons to reopen on Monday, about two months after they closed, Broward County Administrator Bertha Henry told her county commission on Tuesday.
The counties account for almost half of the state’s confirmed virus cases.
While details aren’t complete, Henry said Miami-Dade and Broward’s current plans call for restaurants and retail stores reopening under the state’s rules that limit them to to 25 per cent capacity indoors.
Restaurants with outdoor seating would have to keep tables six feet apart. The rest of the state began reopening last week. Cities could enact tighter restrictions.
The plan also calls for Broward and Miami-Dade beaches to remain closed, but several Broward commissioners told Henry they would like them to also reopen Monday but only if Miami-Dade agrees.
They said they want to avoid overcrowding caused by Miami-Dade residents flocking to Broward beaches.
Others said they would prefer the beaches remain closed for now, citing problems around Florida where visitors to reopened beaches have ignored social distancing restrictions.
Naples, for example, reclosed its beaches Sunday because family groups were sitting too close together.
A woman is seen soaking up the sun during an outing to the park on Tuesday
South Pointe Park is located in Miami, one of Florida hardest-hit areas for the coronavirus. A woman is seen laying out in the sun at the park on Tuesday
Miami-Dade and Broward counties are finishing preparations that would allow retailers, restaurants and personal care businesses such as barber shops and salons to reopen on Monday, about two months after they closed, Broward County Administrator Bertha Henry told her county commission on Tuesday. People are seen at South Pointe Park on Tuesday
The counties account for almost half of the state’s confirmed virus cases. While details aren’t complete, Henry said Miami-Dade and Broward’s current plans call for restaurants and retail stores reopening under the state’s rules that limit them to to 25 per cent capacity indoors
Several people did their own workouts under the sun during their outings to South Pointe Park on Tuesday
Several couples were seen hanging out at the park on Tuesday
One woman rested on the grass at the South Pointe Park while making a phone call on Tuesday
Two women were seen taking a break from roller-blading on a bench at the South Pointe Park on Tuesday
One man was seen taking dip in the water near the South Pointe Park’s pier
A man is seen resting on the cement near the water at the South Pointe Park on Tuesday
Broward commissioners urged caution about the reopening plan but generally agreed that the county’s economy needs to begin the process.
‘One of our responsibilities as leaders is not to lead people to their deaths,’ County Mayor Dale Holness said. No vote was taken on the plan.
Patricia Abril, spokeswoman for Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez, said the mayor wants the county to reopen Monday.
Any plan would need approval from Gov Ron DeSantis, but Henry said she has spoken with him and she doesn’t think that would be an issue.
Florida has had nearly 42,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 1,779 confirmed deaths from the disease since the first cases were reported in early March.
Miami-Dade and Broward combined represent about 20 per cent of the state’s population, but account for 48 per cent of the cases and 40 per cent of the deaths.
There are more than 1.4 million confirmed cases in the United States with at least 83,184 deaths
Both were at peak tourist season when the virus’s known US spread began in January, including hosting the Super Bowl in early February.
The game alone brought tens of thousands of tourists to the region from around the world.
The region is also a major cruise ship hub and a mecca for college students on spring break who packed the area’s beaches and clubs. All helped spread the virus, officials have said.
Broward Commissioner Mark Bogen said Monday’s planned reopening needs to be accompanied by a massive county outreach campaign to remind residents that the coronavirus is still spreading and they need to wear masks and practice social distancing.
‘Don’t let your guard down just because we are opening up,’ Bogen said. ‘People might think that because things are opening up, things are better and they don’t have to wear masks.’
Commissioner Nan Rich worried that the county is reopening too soon, saying not enough testing is being done and she fears many people won’t follow the mask and social distancing mandates.
‘Reopening too early risks needless suffering and death,’ she said.